Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Better university

Hi, I recently graduated from UEL, and I've been in my IT graduate job for half a year. And while I am really liking it, I can't help but thinking of the past 4 years everyday and how I wish I went to a better university. I thought it would change because apparently it doesnt matter what univeristy you go to in the eyes of a recruiter. But i can't even talk to my collegues properly at work, and I know the graduates I went in with judge me for my university as well ( at first anyway) . I feel ashamed I didn't go to a good university like them. I'm not sure what to do ?
On the first few weeks I was there one of the Scenior Developers told me it doesn't matter, that doesnt matter one bit (so clearly it was obvious what was making me nervous at the time lol), but it matters to me. I don't know what to do. I've already got debt from my previous degree, should I do another degree ? I don't have decent A-levels but I have my past degree how could I get access to a good Computer Science degree ? I honestly feel so annoyed I'm doing this from a view of classism but this is the reality for me. Im not sure what the situation is for mature students, Im 24 .
Thanks, flow

Reply 1

yt7777

Surely you wouldn't do another whole degree, just do a 1 year Masters?

Reply 2

Flowbb1

Hey , thanks for the reply. I've been suggested that before. Hmm... I will think about it. Thanks for the reply ! :smile:

Reply 3

winterscoming

Who cares what the other graduates think of your university choice? Their opinion is not relevant to your career nor your employment prospects.

The fact that you are employed on exactly the same graduate training scheme as them (doing the same job and earning exactly the same money as them), should be evidence enough that your university doesn't matter. The people who hired you for the job didn't think it mattered, and you've already been told by one of the senior developers (who has far more experience than the other graduates) that it doesn't matter.

Another way to look at it -- those people went to a university which is supposedly much better than the one you went to, yet they are at the same stage in their life and career as you, which means they aren't going to progress any more quickly than you nor end up being paid more as a result either, so what difference did it make to them in going to that better Uni? The answer is 'none'.

Assuming that you're successful in your career over the next 2-3 years, the relevance of your education background will rapidly decrease in-line with the skills and experience you gain working for your employer on their project(s) and the tasks you're asked to do. Anything you'd have learned at university will be very quickly be overtaken by the new things you learn during this time.

Taking a second computer science degree won't teach you anything that you're not already going to learn over the next 2-3 years by working in your job (again, assuming you're successful and that you don't stagnate). To that end, a second degree won't do anything to boost your employment prospects, and would probably be harmful because it will set your career back by 3 years in repeating a lot of content you've already studied, and you'll be paying £9k per year.